Microgard, a Yorkshire protective clothing manufacturer whose suits are used by health workers in West Africa in the fight against Ebola, has been acquired by Australian company, Ansell.
The Hull-headquartered manufacturer has been snapped up by Ansell, a diverse Melbourne-based group which makes protective gloves and condoms under the SKYN and Jissbon brands.
The agreement is expected to be finalised during the second quarter of 2015 and has valued Microgard at £59m (A$114m).
Microgard was founded in 1975 and sells protective clothing and products in more than 75 countries across the globe. In addition to its Hull head office, the £23m-turnover company has a manufacturing plant in Xiamen, China, and employs 750 staff in total.
Magnus Nicolin, chief executive and managing director of Ansell, commented: “This acquisition is another critical step in building the Ansell body protection business as part of the industrial global business unit.
“Together with our current chemical protective glove range, we now have a world-class portfolio of chemical protection solutions, leveraging our strong global footprint and Ansell Guardian solution selling capabilities to help customers improve protection and productivity in a wide-range of end user verticals.”
Graham Stonehouse, Microgard’s founder and chairman, added: “We are pleased that Microgard is joining forces with Ansell, a recognised world leader in protection solutions.”Ansell’s global reach, commitment to quality, and record of innovation will deliver immediate value to our business, our people, and our partners.”
Keith Spedding ,corporate partner at Shakespeares’ Milton Keynes office who helped advise on the deal, said: “It has been a pleasure working with the team at Ansell, particularly on this important corporate acquisition. Helping to facilitate this deal is testament to the strength of the corporate team at Shakespeares, as well as our commitment to building strong relationships with our existing clients to facilitate such transactions and drive business growth.”
